Smit absent from SA squad

South African captain John Smit is the most notable absentee from the Springbok squad for the home leg of this season's Tri Nations and the clash with Argentina on August 9.

The former Clermont Auvergne hooker, who has opted to return to his homeland ahead of the 2009 Lions tour, is not expected to have recovered from a groin injury he suffered on July 12.

Smit has missed the last two international fixtures after picking up the injury following a spear tackle by New Zealand lock Brad Thorn during the opening Tri Nations defeat to the All Blacks in Wellington.

Bismarck du Plessis and Adriaan Strauss are the two hookers named in Smit's absence, with Schalk Brits missing out despite starting the Boks' last outing against Asutralia in Sydney.

Scrum-half Bolla Conradie also misses selection having been an unused squad member for the games in Wellington, Dunedin and Sydney.

For more on the Springbok selections, including a full list of the 30-man squad, check out the previous news article entitled 'World Cup winners return' or click here

Ryan Grant displayed some impressive singing skills while on tour with the British & Irish Lions. The full release of Lions Raw will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray from October 28th. Pre-order on Amazon.

This clip featuring Simon Zebo will whet your appetite ahead of the much anticipated release of 'Lions Raw', the official Behind the Scenes documentary of the successful 2013 Tour. Full release on October 28th and available on DVD and Blu-Ray.